To build an application, you create a build definition to specify what projects to build, what triggers a build to run, what automated tests to run, and where to deploy the output. This information is stored in the data warehouse, from which it is retrieved when a build runs. After the build runs, data about the build results is stored back in the warehouse, where it is available to view through build reports.

The following illustration shows the three main phases of building an application:

Create a build definition with instructions about which code projects to compile, what action should trigger the build, what tests to run, and many other configurations. You can even use legacy MSBuild files by using the upgrade template.

If a team waits a long time between checking code in and deploying a build, members of that team frequently spend a significant amount of time addressing build breaks and integration issues. If your team checks code in and builds more frequently, you can generally expect to increase your team's velocity.